Germany is suspecting sabotage after a freight train derailed in Essen earlier this week. Thankfully, only the locomotive and not the wagons derailed, which were carrying hazardous material. But there is still reason for concern: the police suspects a deliberate act since a metal object was attached on the tracks, and German media have reported possible links to a US military train that might have been the actual target.
The derailment took place on Monday evening during the dark hours of the day: some time before 22:40, when the police were informed of the incident. They found a partially derailed train, with the locomotive detached from the tracks by around 30 centimetres and the wagons still in their place. Apart from the derailed train, the police also found a metal piece “attached on the tracks by unknown persons”, says Essen police. The train had run over the metal object and come to a halt a few hundred metres away.
The Essen police department says that “there are indications of a deliberate act”. It adds that “the criminal investigation department launched a comprehensive investigation that same night and is assuming the act was intentional.” They are now seeking witnesses who may have observed anything suspicious at the location, and have also involved the state security service in the investigation.
US military convoy targeted?
German paper Bild on Tuesday reported that a train with American military equipment was scheduled to pass through the area on Monday evening, but that it was delayed and did not pass the location on schedule. The paper quotes a state security official who told them: “It would be a huge coincidence if a freight train passed over the tracks just before the US convoy and reported no problems.” Authorities refused to officially comment on the matter in the German media.
In the aftermath of the derailment, Deutsche Bahn will have to close the line for several weeks for repairs, reported broadcaster WDR. The investigations into the cause will continue in the meantime.
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